Child Abuse Stats  /  Types and Definitions
Tips  /  DCS Reporting Number

Child Abuse Stats:

• Every 7 seconds in America a child is abused or neglected.
• In Tennessee, the Department of Children’s Services responds to over 37,000 reports of child abuse/neglect annually.
  • 41% of the reports involve children under five
  • 36% of the reports involve children age six through eleven
  • 23% of the reports involve children age twelve through seventeen

• In 2004 in the USA, an estimated 1,300 children died of abuse and neglect; this averages more than 3 children per day
• Eighty-one percent of victims were abused by a parent
• Child abuse and neglect are responsible for more deaths in children (age 4 and younger) than any other single cause of injury or death.

 
Types and Definitions of Child Abuse:

• Physical Abuse: The non-accidental injury of a child. This may include unusual
  fractures, bruises, welts, and burns; bite marks; and injuries in the abdomen or other soft tissue areas of the body.
• Emotional Abuse: The creation by the parent of a negative, uncaring atmosphere for a child that leads to a pattern of destructive interactions between that parent and child. Extreme sarcasm, belittling, ignoring, and rejecting the child are examples of emotional abuse.
• Neglect: The failure by the parent to provide basic human needs and supervision that a child needs for proper physical, social, and emotional development. This includes lack of food, lack of housing, lack of clothing appropriate for the weather, lack of education, lack of medical care, and lack of proper supervision/protection.
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual exploitation of a child for the sexual gratification of an older child, adolescent, or adult. This ranges from exposure to pornography to fondling to sexual intercourse.

Tips:

• Perhaps the best way to protect your own children from abuse/neglect by others is to know your child’s whereabouts, and to know with whom they spend time. Ask your children questions about their daily activities and monitor their relationships with others.
• Teach your child about good touches and bad touches. Tell your child to tell a trusted adult if they have been hurt. There are a lot of books and videos to assist you in talking to your child about child abuse/neglect. The Family Center of Rutherford County has materials that can be loaned out for a limited period of time.
• If you do become suspicious of child abuse/neglect, you must, under state law, report your suspicions to the Department of Children’s Services. You can remain anonymous, and you cannot be sued by any party for genuine interest in a child’s welfare.
• If a child discloses to you, do your best to remain calm. Emotional reactions tend to frighten children, making them less likely to disclose abuse during the DCS/police investigation. Once you hear the disclosure, remove yourself from the situation as soon as you can and call DCS immediately.

DCS Reporting Number:
For the general public, the number is 1-877-237-0004 or 1-877-54-ABUSE